428 
CONVERSATION WITH MOLLEMMI, ON 
19 July, 
faith between man and man, and between nation and nation ; all, 
was received with an interest, and even eagerness, which increased 
the longer I continued the conversation. This enticed me to pro- 
ceed in my exposition, to a considerable length ; and I felt a peculiar 
satisfaction in pouring into a mind apparently so open to receive it, 
some instruction which I hoped might contribute a ray of light 
towards showing him a better path to present and future happiness. 
Champdni and the other native, listened to this discourse, with 
no less attention than Mollemmi. The former, by his knowledge of 
Dutch, comprehended more quickly and forcibly, than the others 
who heard only through an interpreter, the purport of what was told 
them ; and, as if convinced of the truth of my representations, 
spoke occasionally to the others to enforce or explain my meaning : 
while Muchunka, with the same view, frequently added much of his 
own over and above the proper interpretation. 
After having endeavoured to give them some notions of the 
goodness of that Being by whose will, the existence of every thing 
around them was continued. Who beheld all they did, and to whom 
every word of untruth, and every act of injustice, was in the highest 
degree displeasing, I proceeded to show them the practical good 
which would surely result, not from merely believing in this, but 
from regulating their conduct conformably to such notions, and from 
restraining their evil propensities by those precepts which would 
naturally flow from such knowledge. I assured them that, if the 
Bachapins, the Nuakketsies, the Batammakas, the Maibues, and all 
the tribes of this land, did but know these things, and act in con- 
formity with the will of the Deity, there would be no more fighting 
one against the other, or stealing cattle ; but that all would be at 
peace and would visit each other as friends and brethren. 
As long as I continued speaking, there was the greatest atten- 
tiveness, and an evident wish to comprehend clearly all which was 
said : from their manner, it seemed that this mode of argument and 
explanation, was entirely new to them, and even to Muchunka 
though he had lived at Klaarwater. It appeared strongly to excite 
their curiosity j and, had the object of my visit to Litakun been 
